Steam-trap.



C. H. ATKINS.'

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED mi. 22. 1915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

zzi iwniiir:

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

CHARLES HENRY ATKINS, OF SPRINGFIELD, M ASS ACHUSET'I'S.

STEAMLTBAP Specification of Letters Patent. Pa 1011131351, Feb. 20,1 91 7;

Application filed April 22, 1916. Serial mi 93,634,

all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHARLES HENRY A'r KINB, a citizen of-the .United States of America, residing in vthe'city of Springfield,

county 'ofnHampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and use:

ful Im rovements in Steam-Traps, of which the fol owing 1s a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in steam traps, particularly, it is designed for "use in connection with drying rolls for drying cloth or paper. It is a well-known fact that steam, as t enters a closed body, cannot immediately heat the body until the confined air has become expelled.

The present invention is designed to readily permit the confined air to escape from the drving cylinder, whereby the steam will readily heat the c linder and the drying process be material y increased.

The invention, broadly, comprises an inclosed chamber having a sealed float mounted therein that normally closes the passage through which the water. of condensation escapes and yet permits the confined air in the drying cylinder to readily escape, it

being understood that the interior of the drying cylinder is connected with the inclosingi. casing of the trap. i V

eferrlng to. the drawings:

.Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the trap showing." the sealed float mounted therein and normally resting on the valveseat at the bottom of the inclosing casing, also showing the open ended hollow stem extending upward from the upper side of the float for permitting the confined air inthe cylinder to pass from the ca i ig. 2 is a view of one of the bearings ,for-

inclosed easing into the interior of the stem and downward through thefloat to'the esor return pipe;

' supporting a drying'cylinder and showing the manner of connecting the trap with the interior of the cylinder; y

Flg. 3 is a detail view of the lower end of v the bushingadjacent the upper end of the sealed float. y, (1 Referring to the drawings in detail: 1-

" esign'ates a portion of one of the drying cylinders,'2 the usual gear for rotating same,

3 the hollow bearing for rotatably supporting the drying cylinder, the hollow stem which enters the c linder'being understood to pass through this bearing into the cy1in- (1612 4 designates the inclosing casing of the trap to which the short pipe 5 is connccted, which in to rn, leads to the common discharge" pipe 6 t) which a seriesfpf the traps are 'connectel. 'f is a cup ofcover plate for closingtln: upper end of the casing 41. This plate is formed with a boss or bored. out hub 8, ;he recess therein being indicated at 9. Located within'tliis recess is'a bearing 10 whi :hmay consist of bronze or other suitable .naterial. 1'1 designates the float proper vhich is a hermetically sealed ellipsoidal member having the cont inuous tube l2ext :nding therethrough, the opening through tl 1e tube being. designated by thennmcral 13 The lower end of the tube is formed wit 1 a conical shaped valve 14 which: normally engages the valve seat 15. The diameter )f the opening 16 in the seat 15 is the samoas the diameter of the opening 1n the bee ringlO. The upwardly extending hollow, s ;em 17 that islocated'in the opening 18 is ilightly smaller than the opening to permit the air which flows from the interior of the dr ng' cylinder 1,

through the pipe 19, to t e interior'of the a casing 4, to escape from the casing the air passing upwaid through the annular passageway betwein the stem 17 and the opening 18 into the upper end of the boss 8 where it flows downward ,through the tube 12,.as indicated by the arrow 20 and escapes by means of the ppes 5 and 6. After the air has been expelli d from the drying cylinder 1, the steam tl en enters the interior of the casing 4 and the 'waterof condensation effectuall against t e escape of steam by reason of i the water collectiig in the grooves 21 of the stem 17,, or, in other words, the capillary attraction bcti ween-the grooves and the seals the annular opening 18 r water serves to seal the tube 12 against the escape of the steam After asufiicient quantity of water of cindensation has collected in' the bottom of ihecasing 4 the float 11 will be raised allowing the collected water to escape through theopening 16 past the valve 14. After tl e water has escaped the float again return: to-its seat 15. Transversely arranged (n the lower end of the bearing 10 are groives 22 which commum-.

ca'te'jwith the annul ar groove 23 at the lower end of the annular passageway 18. Thegrooves 22 and an nulargroove 23 are for the "purpose of peiniittingthe confined air to pass upward through the opening 18 in case the float 11 is elevated, as it will be seen the upper finished end orsurface 23' fextensions'having a communicatingpassager of the float llicannot close the opening 18 Way from -one to the other whlchleads by reason of this construction. The bearthrough the float to allow air to pass from ing 3 does not form a part of the presentthe'interior of the casing to the discharge 5 invention but is clearly shown, described opening, and after the air has escaped from 0 and-claimed-in my co-pending application the casmg and steam is admitted thereto, 7 filed of even date herewith, entitled Hollow the grooves on the upper extension serving ,v bolt constructiomSer. N 0,; 93,035. as a liquid seal to the passage through the What I claim-is. float, whereby the float will be elevated by 1.; device of the class described, com-the water of condensation in the casing to prislng in'co'mbination, an inclosing casing, raise thevalve from and uncoverthe lower a' sealed float therein,,'a stem and a valveseopening inthe casing to permit the water cured tothe oppositeendsof thefloat and 'in (if condensation to escape therefrom, and v alinement with eachother, a pipe extending wherebvthe air in the casing can escape. through thefloat and connecting said stem when the float is elevate and-valve toprovide a communicating open lower end of the bearing. v ing with said-stem and valve, the stem being A trap comprising an outer shell, havlocated in a bearing that is slightly larger ing a pipe'connection for introducing air or than the stem, the lower end of the bearing" steam and having openings in' its upper and having an annular groove and a transverse lower portions, a closed float in the casing, 1 groove intheflower end or face thereof eX-'- a tube located within the float and having tending from the outer edge ofthe bearing-to portions extending beyond its upper and the recessinfthe bearing, a pipe connected to lower ends, and located in said openings, the 1 the interior of the inclosing casingforintrolower extending portion serving as a valve 25 ducing steam into said c.asing,vsaid pipe being for the opening in the lower portion of the 99 connected with the interior of a drying cylcasing. and the upper extension being of less inder or-roll, whereby whensteam under diameter than the upper-opening, having {pressure is turned on to the drying cylinder grooves therein to permit air to pass along 7 th'e'confined air can readily'escape from the said extension but' not a liquid, the lower the casing of the trap and then past the therein to ermit air to pass into the upper stem to'andthrough the pipe which comopening w en the float is raised into conmunicate with the stem and the valve, and tact with the lower end of the upper open ,whereb whenthe confined air has been exing, as described.

'5 pelled cnthe casing the water of conden- 4. steam trap comprising an outer cas- 10o .sation will sealthe passageway between the .ing having a discharge opening at the bot stem and the bearing and cause the float to tom and a recessed cover plate a float, a' be lifted by the water of condensation in the 'valve on the float to close the discharge open ,casingf an 'so escape-past the valve to the ing, a grooved extension on the float located dis'charge'pipe, all'constructed and arranged in the recess of the cover plate and of less for the purpose described. 1 i diameterthan the recess, the lower edge of 2. The herein described trap comprising the recessed opening having agroove to pervan outer casing, or shell, having a discharge mit air to enter the recess when the float is openin in .the lower end of the casing, elevated in contact with the lower edge of 5 cover p ate for-med wit an integral recessed the recessed opening, said float having a projection, a bearing in-the recessed portion, communicating passage between the valve a float within the casing, ,a valve on the and the grooved extension to allow air to lower end of the float for closing the dis-; escape from the casing when the valve is. charge opening, the interior" of said casing closed, the grooved extension servingto seal toibeing free from obstructiono'r partitions of] the passage when steam is allowed to enter any hind, means for guiding the float to e casing, as described. I

perm t 'upwardlanddownward.move '5. A device of the kind described, com,- ments,:sa1d means'comprlsing an extension prising-in combination. with an inclosin on the float for entering the openings-and casing havin v an inlet openin in the side 1551260888 in the 'shell and cover-"plate, respecthrough whici steam is allowe to enter the J tively, the bearing having laterally arranged casing and a discharge opening in the botbearing, the extension'entering the opening the upper end of 1' the casin and forme 1n the cover plate being of less diameter than with a recessed pro'ection, a earing or lin- 60.; the opening in the cover plate. and forme with grooves on sa d-extensions to permit a formedwithan' annular groove at its lower air but notwater to pass along said exten-' f end andqtraisverse grooves extending from sum, the upper end oflthe floatjhaving. a the edge ofthe flange-to the annular flat surface for en'g:1ging thelower-end of .Said float having its, upper end .fini ed 65 the hearing when d and engagesfthe' 8 v icylinder throughth'e pipe to'the interior of end of the upper opening having a groove 95 g v mm nw ing with the recessed -tom,.a float in said casing, a cap for closing 1 mg in the recess of the projection and afloat is etevated,,said with the lower gal otvtbe grooved flanged bearing, projections on the upper tions, said grooves serving to permit the air 10 and lower ends of the float for entering the confined in the czsingv to escape, therefrom bearing in said projection and the discharge to and through th 2 float should the float be opening in the lower. end of the casing for in an elevated position when the steam is the PIIIIIEOSG of guildinlg the vertical moveturned'on, as described.

ments 0 the float, t e ower projection serv- -1 ing as a valve for the discharge opening, a H HENRY ATKINS pipe extending through the float for form- Witness: 7

ing a communication between the projec- HARRY W., BOWEN. 

